12/02442/FULL1 Ward: Bickley

SECTION ‘2’ – Applications meriting special consideration

Application No : 12/02442/FULL1 Ward: Bickley

Address : Bickley Railway Station Yard Southborough Road Bickley Bromley BR1 2EB

OS Grid Ref: E: 542130 N: 168716

Applicant : Vodafone Limited Objections : NO

Description of Development:

Replace headframe and 3 antennae with new headframe and 6 antennae with development ancillary thereto RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION

Key designations:

Biggin Hill Safeguarding Birds Biggin Hill Safeguarding Area London City Airport Safeguarding London City Airport Safeguarding Birds

Proposal

Retrospective permission is sought for the replacement of the previous headframe that featured three antennae with a new headframe, as installed, which features six antennae. The existing pole has not been altered and the footprint of the ancillary development to the base of the mast remains the same.

The mast has a height of 15 metres with the headframe being on top of this giving a total height of 18.42 metres as opposed to the total height with the previous headframe of 17.6 metres, giving a total increase in height of some 1.2 metres.

Location

The application site is located to the south of Bickley railway station and is within the yard that adjoins the station. This area is accessed from Southborough Road and features parking provision for the station. To the south of the site and accessed from Southlands Grove are the properties located at Abinger Close and The Pantiles.

The site itself is an enclosed area measuring 7 metres by 7.6 metres with a 1.8 metre chainlink fence and a single access gate, with the required equipment cabinets located within. Comments from Local Residents

Nearby owners/occupiers were notified of the application and no representations were received.

Comments from Consultees

Environmental Health has raised no objection.

No comments have been received from Network Rail to date, should any be received these will be reported to Members verbally.

Planning Considerations

The application falls to be determined in accordance with the following policies of the Unitary Development Plan:

BE1 Design of New Development BE22 Telecommunications Apparatus

National Planning Policy Framework, Section 5: Supporting High Quality Communications Infrastructure

Planning History

The application site has a large planning history, of which most relevant to this proposal are:

An application for whether prior approval for siting and appearance was required, ref. 99/03592, for a 15 metre high telecommunications pole with three antennae and two dishes was refused.

Application ref. 00/03770 refused permission for a 22.5 metre telecommunications pole with three antennae and two dishes with an associated fenced compound.

Conclusions

The main issues relating to the application are the effect that it would have on the character of the area and the impact that it would have on the amenities of the occupants of surrounding residential properties.

Documentation has been provided to confirm compliance with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and as such these concerns cannot be considered in the determination of this application in line with government guidance.

The installed development represents an increase in the number of antennae from three to six and the overall height of the installation by some 1.2 metres. The mast is not closer to the adjoining residential properties and there is no increase in the footprint of the telecommunications operation. Although there is an increase in height, this is considered to be relatively minimal within the overall scale of the development and does not result in a detrimental impact upon the visual amenity of the area, or the character of the area. There is a large degree of mature trees to the southern edge of the yard as a whole, with several being in close proximity to the application site. In this regard it is considered that existing vegetation largely mitigates the visual impact of the development, in accordance with Policy BE22.

The increase in the number of antennae is stated as being the result of the infrastructure sharing agreement between Vodafone Ltd and Telefonica UK Ltd, with the alter now operating from the site. The additional three antennae are not considered to result in an unacceptable level of visual intrusion and the overall enlargement above the previous dimensions as a result of this increase is considered acceptable.

Having had regard to the above it was considered that the development in the manner proposed is acceptable in that it would not result in a significant loss of amenity to local residents nor impact detrimentally on the character of the area.

Background papers referred to during production of this report comprise all correspondence on file ref. 12/02442, excluding exempt information. as amended by documents received on 13.08.2012

RECOMMENDATION: PERMISSION

Subject to the following conditions:

1 The siting and appearance of the telecommunications antennae hereby permitted shall be carried out in complete accordance with the submitted drawing(s) unless previously agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. ACM01R Reason M01 2 ACM03 Removal of equipment after redundancy ACM03R Reason M03 3 AJ02B Justification UNIQUE reason OTHER apps

Policies (UDP) BE1 Design of New Development BE22 Telecommunications Apparatus

Application:12/02442/FULL1 Address: Bickley Railway Station Yard Southborough Road Bickley Bromley BR1 2EB Proposal: Replace headframe and 3 antennae with new headframe and 6 antennae with development ancillary thereto RETROSPECTIVE

APPLICATION 8

E R 1:380